We have had a LOT of rainy days in December! In the past four days we got 3.95" of rain! It rained and rained and rained!!! Our water-year total is already up to 30.50"! Four days ago the river was running at 5,800 cfs (cubic feet per second) and had a gauge height of 9.57'!  In contrast, it looks we have a sunny week coming up, which will be a welcome change! Maybe I can go for a hike! Fingers crossed!

We are so grateful that we've been getting all this rain! Additionally, I'm very grateful that the snow level has been around 6,000' and higher. Which means that we're not out shoveling snow, as we live around 2,600' in elevation! Yay!!!!!

View of the North Yuba River from the Yuba Rim Trail overlook

In between rainstorms, I managed to hike with my friends Diane and Martine on the Yuba Rim Trail. This trail is in the foothills, and in the winter we usually hike out to the overlook of the North Yuba River. This year I suggested we take a side trail down to the river that none of us had ever hiked before. It turned out to be quite an adventure! 

After approximately 1.8 miles on the Yuba Rim Trail, we came to the junction with the Trabucco Trail. We veered off and headed downhill for about 1.1 miles on a lovely trail through a mixed oak/conifer forest with views of the distant ridges. We ended up on a fairly steep decline in the last .5 mile on what appeared to be an old, wide road, that ended at the junction with the Yuba Drop Trail.

Silk Tassel in berry - Garrya fremontii  

We came across a lot of Silk Tassel Bushes as we dropped down to the river. Silk-Tassel is dioecious, like willows, having male and female flowers on separate plants. The tassels are the male flowers, the berries are the fruits of the female flowers. I hadn't seen a silk tassel bush "in berry" for years, so I didn't even recognize this one! The berries we found on the ground were very dark blue, almost black! The ones still on the bushes were a light dusty-rose in color. It is browsed by Mule Deer in winter and spring. The fruit is eaten by songbirds, mountain quail, gray fox, and rodents. It provides good cover for black bear, mule deer, and various birds and small mammals.

 Toyon in berry - Heteromeles arbutifolia

The Toyon bushes along the trail were COVERED in BRIGHT RED berries! Just beautiful! Toyon berries form in June or July, but don't ripen until December! When they are green they contain cyano-glucosides in their pulp. When a bird tries to eat a green berry, cyanide gas is released and deters the bird! The unripened berries are also full of bitter tannins that discourage foragers! Over time the cyanide compounds gradually move into the seeds and the tannins diminish. In December, when the berries are bright red, they aren't bitter and the pulp no longer contains cyanide compounds! Approximately 20+ species of birds eat Toyon berries during winter! In addition to Western Bluebirds, you might see Band-tailed Pigeons, Cedar Waxwings, Hermit Thrushes, and Varied Thrushes feeding on them! Foxes, Brush Rabbits, Black Bears, and Coyotes also feed on the ripened berries!

Unknown mushrooms

We also saw a few mushrooms along the way. This was a nice surprise, as this winter I haven't found very many mushrooms in the woods. I don't know the names of the ones pictured above.

Diane and Martine on the Yuba Drop Trail

The Yuba DROP Trail turned out to be aptly named. It was SUPER STEEP, dropping 1,000' in only .9 of a mile! Sheesh! It had lovely views of the river canyon as we dropped down and down on switchback after switchback. The abundant acorns on the trail added a bit of difficulty with their roly poly nature, and parts of the trail also had some steep drop offs. We definitely had to watch our step! 

The Bear Yuba Land Trust warns "This is a very difficult, double black diamond trail. This is BYLT’s most challenging trail and should not be taken lightly. It is only 0.9 miles but it is very steep terrain. Be sure to bring more water than you think and some food to snack on. The payoff at the bottom is worth the effort."

Townsend's Solitaires - Myadestes townsendi

Along the way I was delighted to see several Townsend's Solitaires perched in open areas in the river canyon. In our area, and in the foothills, I only see these inconspicuous birds in the winter. Their white eye ring makes them easy to identify. 

The Cornell website https://birdsoftheworld.org/ states: "In summer, the Townsend's Solitaire haunts a variety of montane coniferous forest types, up to and even above tree line. In autumn, it descends to lower elevations, spreading outward from the mountains into adjacent foothills and valleys and wintering in juniper woodlands or other habitats that provide abundant fruit. Most populations appear to make only a short altitudinal migration between summer and winter grounds, although northern breeders migrate longer distances southward for the winter. In a few areas the species is resident year-round."

Townsend's Solitaires are known for their beautiful song which has been described on https://birdsoftheworld.org/ as, "one of the most glorious and beautiful of bird songs”, and an “infinitely fine and sweet rendering of mountain music...in rippling cadences”. I personally have never heard their song, but I don't have great hearing either. Sure would LOVE to hear it! Maybe next year!

Sierra Newt - Taricha torosa

Just before we reached the river, I spotted a Sierra Newt in full on "warning" position on the trail!  I think that my fellow hikers may have almost stepped on it, and caused its alarm!  Luckily it was fine, but too cold to move! It must have used all its warmth and strength to put on this defensive display! I carefully picked it up and put it off the trail and out of harms way. When we came back, about half an hour later, it had moved out of sight! Yay! What a beautiful little creature! How lucky we were to see it! We didn't see any more of them that day, just this one!

The Sierra Newt in the photo above, is responding to danger by showing its bright orange belly and throat. It is warning potential predators that it is poisonous, with its aposematic coloring. Not many animals prey on newts, except for garter snakes, which are known to develop a tolerance to the newt's neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin! Handling newts does NOT expose you to this toxin, but eating one could kill you!

North Yuba River - downriver

In a little under an hour we reached the end of the Yuba Drop Trail, and the beautiful North Yuba River!  It was gorgeous! The water was low, so lots and lots of water sculpted bedrock was exposed! 

 

North Yuba River - upriver

We were in the cool, winter shade of the river canyon. It was invigorating! After many years of looking down at the river from the Rim Trail, it was a thrill to actually be on the river! I felt so privileged to be there!

Water-sculpted Bedrock

The sculpted bedrock was massive and timeless. For thousands of years, water has carved and smoothed these rocks! Such beauty! 

North Yuba River

 The deep green pools in the river channel, made us all want to revisit in the summer, to swim, explore and spend the whole day there. Unfortunately, we had to head back up the trail after a short while, as daylight would be gone by 5:00 pm. Alas, the short days of winter! The hike back up was indeed the steepest uphill mile I have EVER hiked! We definitely had our legs, hearts and lungs working! But we made it in less than an hour back to the junction with the Trabucco Trail, then up onto the Rim Trail and back to our car, a round trip of 8.4 miles.

That morning I was thrilled to enjoy a beautiful sunrise! It was a glorious start to a wonderful day out in the wild once again!

What the heck is this???

Neighborhood News!

Again, in between rainstorms, we got out for short hikes in our neighborhood this past month! Just three days ago, my husband and I came across a group of male and female Western Bluebirds bathing in a rain puddle!  Wow!!! It was such fluttery beauty!!

Male and female Western Bluebirds bathing in a rain puddle - Sialia mexicana

Bathing in water helps birds clean and maintain their feathers. Good feathers are necessary for flight, insulation and waterproofing. Bathing removes dirt, bacteria and parasites.

The following information on the act of birds bathing is from the website at https://web.stanford.edu/.

"A bird is considered to be bathing whenever it uses any of several stereotyped movements to wet its feathers. One pattern, wading, is commonly observed in birds with strong feet and broad, short, flexible wings. In a typical sequence a bird stands in the water, fluffs the feathers to expose the bare skin between their bases, and rapidly flicks the wings in and out of the water. The breast is submerged and rolled vigorously back and forth, and then, as the front end emerges, the head is thrown back, forming a cup with the partially elevated wings and tail, and dousing the feathers of the back. Those feathers are elevated so that the water reaches the skin, and then lowered, forcing the water between them. The sequence may be repeated, with the bird submerging farther in each cycle, until it is a mass of soaked disarranged feathers. Variations on this theme can be seen in different species, such as robins, thrushes, mockingbirds, jays, and titmice.

The frequency of bathing by land birds typically is related to the weather. On a hot summer day titmice or chickadees may take five baths; in midwinter they still may bathe several times a week, often in snowmelt found in protected areas.

After bathing, birds dry themselves using ritualized movements. Even swimming birds must force the surplus water from between their feathers to protect their insulating properties. Songbirds shake themselves to throw off water by vibrating wings and tail and ruffling feathers. All birds normally follow bathing with preening."

Red-shouldered Hawk - Townsend's Solitaire 

Buteo lineatus - Myadestes townsendi

I was thrilled to see a Red-shouldered Hawk perched above the river last week!  I haven't seen one in a while! Red-shouldered Hawks used to live exclusively down in the foothills and delta areas of California. They have recently expanded their territory to include our river, at around 2,600' in elevation. Riparian areas are their preferred habitat. They eat reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and occasionally birds, such as Mourning Doves, House Sparrows, and Starlings. Hopefully I'll see this one again soon!

This Townsend's Solitaire posed for a photo on one of our walks!

Common Goldeneyes - Bucephala clangula

I've been waiting and waiting for the Common Goldeneyes to show up on our river, and they finally arrived this week! I saw two different groups of males and females one morning! They will spend the winter here. In California, Common Goldeneyes are the only ducks that regularly spend the winter on rivers and lakes above the foothills of the western Sierra.

They are diving ducks and eat fish, aquatic vertebrates, seeds, and tubers. When diving, they keep their wings pressed to their sides underwater, and swim with their webbed feet! They are amazing to watch when they're underwater! This species can fly up to 40 mph, and the wind "whistles" through their wing feathers! Right now the males are in their black and white mating colors, and the females have a yellow tip to their bill.

Common Goldeneyes are found across the U.S. in winter, and across the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska during the breeding season. They prefer the forests as they are tree cavity nesters, like Buffleheads, Wood Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and Common Mergansers!

Snow Geese - Anser caerulescens

What's happening in Gray Lodge?

What will the weather bring?

Check back in two weeks for the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog every TWO weeks from now on. Check back in two weeks, on January 18, for my next natural history blog.

Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com

Your questions and comments are always appreciated. Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

Another Year!

Northern Pintails and American Wigeons with Snow Geese in the background

Eight years ago, on December 23, 2016, I started this blog! This year, due to my husbands health, I wasn't able to get out and explore as much as usual. This made my time out in the wild even more precious! I still managed to see lots of incredible landscapes, wildflowers, birds, insects, herptiles, and mammals! Below are photo-composites of some of the amazing beauty that I was so privileged to see this year!

This year I had an astounding 21,535 hits on my blog (7,000 more than last year!), from 70 different countries!!! Thanks go to all of you for your continued interest in my blog! 

Landscapes:  My own neighborhood is constantly surprising me with new wildlife sightings and incredible beauty! Table Mountain once again had an amazing wildflower bloom this year, that was a pure delight to hike through.

The Sierra Valley nesting season was fabulous to watch once again!

The Sierra Buttes and the Lakes Basin were ever-changing beauty!

Daugherty Hill Wildlife Preserve and the "Other" Spenceville were delightful to visit in the winter as always!  I am so lucky to be able to hike and observe nature in these special, unique habitats!

Sunrise in my neighborhood

Table Mountain

Sierra Valley

Sierra Buttes

Daugherty Hill Wildlife Preserve

The "Other" Spenceville

Sunset in my neighborhood

Insects: This year I saw several insects that I'd never seen before. Some of them I saw because of my new interest in investigating the trunks and bark of conifer trees, a fascinating new subject for me! I also saw a Sphinx Moth with cocoons of the parasitic Braconid Wasp on it! I had never seen that before either! Wonders never cease when you're out in the woods!

Achemon Sphinx Moth

Pink-faced Jewel Beetle - Wood-boring Beetle

Red Admiral Butterfly - Northern White Skipper

Chalk-fronted Corporal Dragonfly

Great Basin Wood-Nymph - Nelson's Hairstreak Skipper

Wooly Aphids - American Square-headed Snakefly larva

White-lined Sphinx Moth Caterpillar parasitized with Braconid Wasp cocoons

Birds: Bird watching is one of my absolute favorite pastimes! This year I lucked out and saw several that I have never seen before! I also saw a juvenile Bald Eagle that was almost totally dark. I didn't recognize it as a Bald Eagle in the field, but later found out that Bald Eagles don't get their distinctive white head and tail until they are 4-5 years old!!! Another surprising sighting was a male Ruddy Duck doing a mating display called "bubbling"! While I watched it, it pointed its tail straight up and repeatedly pounded it's breast with its bill that created a small semi-circle of bubbles in the pondwater in front of it! Wow! I was also enchanted by a murmuration of thousands of Red-winged Blackbirds! I love all the grace, colors, behaviors and songs of birds!

Bald Eagle (adult)

Lewis's Woodpecker (juvenile) - Merlin (adult)

American White Pelican (adult) - Bald Eagle (juvenile)

Ruddy Duck "Bubbling" (male)

Bewick's Wren (adult) - Snowy Egret (adult)

Buffleheads (female & ducklings) - Long-billed Dowitcher (adult)

Red-winged Blackbirds (adults)

Wildflowers: It was another incredible wildflower year this year! Howard Meadow was once again displaying thousands of Corn Lilies and many other wildflowers!!! It was blissfully beautiful to wander through! Bridgeport/South Yuba River State Park and Table Mountain, were also carpeted in Spring blooms! New to me this year is the Pretty Jacob's Ladder that I saw for the first time ever, over in Frenchman's Canyon! How lucky I was to enjoy this profuse bloom!

Corn Lilies and Groundsel

Yellow Cat's Ears - Dutchman's Pipes

Bur-Reed - Canyon Delphinium

Monarch Butterfly on Angelica

Indian Warrior - Blazing Star

Pretty Jacob's Ladder - Yellow Mariposa Lily

Bird's-eye Gilia, California Poppies, Blue Dicks & Kellogg's Monkeyflower

Mammals: Mammals are never numerous in our area, so they are always a delight to see. This year I was astonished to see an American Mink in our neighborhood river!  I hadn't seen one in five years! It was only in sight for less than a minute, but what a thrill that was! I also saw a Sandhill Crane with a vole (probably) in its beak, which I'd never seen before! And the most amazing sighting of all was a Mountain Lion, 15 feet away in my neighbors terraced garden!

Mule Deer Doe and Fawn

Mule Deer Buck - Mule Deer Doe

Pronghorn - Gray Fox

American Mink

American Mink - American Mink

Chickaree - Sandhill Crane with Vole

Mountain Lion (photo ©Clinton Hayes 2024)

I'm so looking forward to another year of hiking and exploring our incredible natural world, and am SO grateful that I still CAN!

Check back in two weeks, on January 4th, for my next blog post.

Best wishes for the New Year to all of you!

The Marysville Rice Fields!

Sandhill Cranes (juvenile & adult) - Antigone canadensis

My husband and I traveled down to the Marysville Rice Fields this week to go bird watching. We hadn't been there in three years! The rice fields, in California's Central Valley, support many wildlife species!!! The following information from https://calrice.org explains this complex relationship.

"California rice is uniquely connected to the environment and the long-term survival of 230 wildlife species that depend on planted rice fields in the Sacramento Valley.

Every species from Swainson’s Hawks, Bald Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, River Otters, Western Pond Turtles, millions of migratory waterbirds traveling the Pacific Flyway, and the state and federally threatened Giant Gartersnake all utilize the important habitat and food resources planted rice fields create.

With 95% of California’s historic wetlands now gone, rice fields now serve as critical surrogate wetland habitat for wildlife. Acquiring, restoring and replacing the wetland habitat and food resources for wildlife rice now provides, would cost close to $3 Billion.

Every year 7-10 million ducks and geese innately travel to Northern California’s Sacramento Valley, spending the winter months in rice fields, relying on leftover rice grain as a primary food source enabling them to refuel before the next long journey.

Rice fields provide more than 60% of the diet for the millions of ducks, geese and other wintering waterfowl.

Winter flooded rice fields also create critical habitat space for waterfowl to rest and develops aquatic organisms known as “Zooplankton” which is a nutrient-dense food source for fish.

Continued yearly work between rice farmers and scientists indicates rice fields may hold the key to boosting the state’s dwindling salmon population, with rice fields creating nutrient-rich food for baby salmon.

Planted rice fields are inherently multi-beneficial, with many others connected to the growing process. 40% of water used to grow rice gets recycled, flowing to neighboring farms to help irrigate other crops, traveling to wildlife refuges for reuse or continuing downstream returning to the environment.

For two decades now, the Sacramento Valley has been designated as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site of International Importance, with rice fields being recognized for their importance to shorebird populations along the Pacific Flyway."

Sandhill Cranes - Antigone canadensis

Luckily we came across a small group of Sandhill Cranes right near the road! These birds migrate down in the Pacific Flyway from British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and northeastern California, to overwinter in California's Central Valley. They are 4' length, with a 7'7" wingspan! They roost at night in shallow wetlands but feed by day in agricultural fields. The are mainly herbivores, and eat corn, roots, seeds, cultivated grains, and berries, as well as small mammals, insects, snails, reptiles, and amphibians. Their feeding and roosting areas are typically less than 2 miles apart.

Sandhill Cranes (juvenile & adult) - Antigone canadensis

While we were watching the small group of Cranes, they took off and joined a distant bigger group of Sandhill Cranes. The total we saw was 18 Cranes!  What a thrill it was to see these incredible winter visitors!

 Three White-faced Ibis - Plegadis chihi

These gorgeous birds have come down from their breeding grounds either in Idaho, Montana, N. & S. Dakota, Iowa or Utah, to spend the winter in California's Central Valley. During their breeding season (April to mid-May) a white rim of feathers is displayed around the bare skin of their face, hence their name! The birds pictured above weren't in their mating colors yet, but in the right light the iridescence of their feathers was a palette of colors!

White-faced Ibis - Plegadis chihi

They use their long decurved bills to probe for aquatic insects, crustaceans, earthworms, and midge larvae. We saw large groups of them in the shallow, muddy fields. When they fly they look almost prehistoric to me, with their curved necks and bills.

Tundra Swans - Cygnus columbianus

There were hundreds of Tundra Swans on the rice fields, adults as well as juveniles (the smaller gray ones)!  They have recently arrived from their breeding grounds in the arctic, a 2,500 mile one-way flight!!! They will spend their winters in the Central Valley. They do not dive, but submerge their heads to forage for the leaves, stems, seeds, and tubers of aquatic plants, such as rice. These large swans have 7' wingspans, are about 4.5' tall, and can weigh up to 16lbs! I find them to be beautifully elegant!

Greater White-fronted Geese with hazy Sutter Buttes

 Anser albifrons

Greater White-fronted Geese also migrate down from the arctic to spend the winter in the Central Valley. They feed on marsh grasses, sedges, berries, and seeds from agricultural crops. They are primarily diurnal feeders, and roost on wetlands at night.

Greater White-fronted Geese - Anser albifrons

We saw small as well as large groups of these geese in the rice fields.  Interestingly, we didn't see any Snow Geese that are the prevalent goose in many of the Central Valley wetlands.!!! Maybe they don't eat rice grains???

Northern Pintail (female in front - male behind) - Anas acuta

Although officially Pintails don't "pair-up" until late winter, the female and male pictured above (in their mating colors) definitely look like a pair! They only mate for one season, and the males often mate with several females.

Most of the ducks we see on the rice fields are "dabbling" ducks, not diving ducks. They feed on the bottom of the very shallow water, by tipping their head down in the water and holding their tails in the air. The water is probably only a few inches to a foot deep.

Northern Pintail (female - male) - Anas acuta

One flooded field was mainly covered with Northern Pintails this year! Pintails may stay year-round in the Central Valley of California, or they may migrate to breed in the prairie-pothole region of Canada and Alaska. They primarily feed on marsh plants, aquatic invertebrates, and grains in shallow water and dry fields. They forage in wetlands by day, and flooded rice fields by night.

American Coots - Fulica americana

We came across a HUGE group of American Coots in one of the rice fields. I didn't count them all but there were probably over 500 of them all together!  Apparently this is common behavior in the non-breeding season! It was quite the sight to see! Check out the video below!!!

American Coots - Fulica americana

The Cornell Lab states, "On wintering grounds, [coots] may gather in large, densely packed rafts of >1,000 individuals in open water and when sleeping in emergent macrophyte (aquatic plants that emerge above the water) cover. Coordinated swimming movements of birds within these densely packed aggregations suggest they may function in obtaining food."

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Corthylio calendula

Neighborhood News!

While visiting our brother-in-law I happened to see a male Ruby-crowned Kinglet outside his window that was showing it's red crown!  It apparently thought that its reflection was an intruding male! It repeatedly hopped up and dropped down with its red crest showing, though not fully erected! What a privilege to watch this little determined male trying to chase off a competitor! It was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting!

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Corthylio calendula

Check out this video! (Sorry about the background voices!)

Non-biting midges - Chironomidae Family

To my delight, once again the non-biting midges were happening above the pine trees on the Open Slope! This year I made a video of them, so you can get a sense of how many there were, and how they move with the wind!

Midges are often mistaken for mosquitoes due to their similar size and body shape. They lay their eggs in shallow waters. The eggs sink to the bottom. In a few days the larvae hatch out of the eggs and burrow into mud, or construct a small tube in which they live, feed and develop. The aquatic larvae feed on detritus in the water and are a great source of food for fish and aquatic insects. After 2-7 weeks, the larvae turn into pupae. The pupae then swim to the surface and the adults emerge from their pupal exuviae (cast off skin). Adults do not feed and spend their short, 3-5 day lives mating in huge groups!

Non-biting midges - Chironomidae Family

Check out this video! (I apologize for the lens flare.)

Shaggy Mane - Questionable Stropharia

Coprinus comatus - Stropharia ambigua

At last I found some mushrooms popping up in the forest!  I've been looking and looking and finally found a good patch of the very common Questionable Stropharia mushrooms and one more Shaggy Mane! That's it! This year there is a definite lack of mushrooms! Perhaps the cold temps, in the 20's, has kept them from growing.

Questionable Stropharia - Stropharia ambigua

Winter's Solstice is next Saturday, December 21st! The increase in the number of daylight hours is always welcome during these short days of winter, and a definite cause for celebration! 

What's happening in the foothills?

What will the weather bring? 

Check back in two weeks for the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog every TWO weeks from now on. This month will be an exception, as my annual yearly summary will be posted on December 22nd. See you then!

Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com

Your questions and comments are always appreciated. Please email me at northyubanaturalist@gmail.com. Thanks!

It POURED!!!

North Yuba River in the rain!

In the past 10 days we got 12.49" of rain!!! WOW! It really poured! This brings our water year total up to 16.21". Recently, at the end of October, our water year total was only .92"! A year ago, our water year total was only 4.48" at the end of November. So we are off to a good start, and I hope the rain keeps up and ends the current drought! 

These storms were part of an "Atmospheric River" that covered mostly northern California. The following is NOAA's simple description of an atmospheric river.

"Atmospheric rivers are relatively narrow regions in the atmosphere that are responsible for most of the transport of water vapor from the tropics. Atmospheric rivers come in all shapes and sizes but those that contain the largest amounts of water vapor and strongest winds are responsible for extreme rainfall events and floods. This type of hydrologic event can affect the entire west coast of North America. These extreme events can disrupt travel, induce mudslides, and cause damage to life and property. Not all atmospheric rivers are disruptive. Many are weak and provide beneficial rain or high elevation snow that is crucial to the water supply."

North Yuba River - 11/26/24

The North Yuba River widened, and was running fast and full! Last Saturday, the volume of water peaked at 3,000 cfs (cubic feet per second). On Thursday it was down to 373 cfs. The river rose to almost 8' last Saturday, by Thursday it was down to 2.95'.

North Yuba River - 11/17/24

 It was amazing how quickly it changed!

 Columbian Black-tailed Deer (doe & fawn) - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

Mammals in the Rain

Surviving day after day of drenching rain can become difficult for some wildlife. Mule Deer, however, don't appear to be that affected by rain. Their thick winter coat sheds rain, and has hollow guard hairs that trap air and insulate them against the cold. A very fine hair under their guard hairs insulates them even further. Winter coats can range from 0.2 to 1.1 inches deep; this is 5 to 6 times deeper than summer coats! Hair depth is critical for survival because deeper coats trap more insulating air. The dark color of Mule Deer's winter fur helps absorb the suns heat, keeping them warmer. 

 Columbian Black-tailed Deer (buck) - Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

If the rain is very heavy, Mule Deer may temporarily seek shelter in dense brush or forests. During periods of moderate rain, they carry on with their normal foraging and traveling.

 River Otter - Lontra canadensis

The swift high water of the river can be difficult for River Otters. The turbidity of the water can make it difficult for them to find prey. The fast current also makes it more difficult to maneuver underwater.

"When a river is in flood stage, river otters will typically move to higher ground within their territory, seeking out areas with calmer water, less current, and potential food sources, often utilizing existing burrows or finding new sheltered locations to ride out the flood event; they may also temporarily reduce their foraging activity due to the disruption to their usual prey availability."

(This quote is from AI on Google, and I couldn't find it's exact source.)

In our area, that means they might frequent local ponds, or small streams in the forest.  They are quite capable of traveling on land, at a speed of up to 15mph! 

Chickaree or Douglas Squirrel - Tamiasciurus douglasii

Small mammals, such as squirrels and mice take to their dens during periods of heavy rain.  Their dens can be in a tree trunk, rotten log, or underground.  I have often seen them out during periods of moderate rain, and they appear to be holding their tails over their backs for protection!

Western Gray Squirrel - Sciurus griseus

These mammals also store food for the winter. They can rely on these caches of food during inclement weather.

Gray Fox - Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Gray Foxes inhabit our neighborhood, but I don't often see them. Their multi-colored coat helps camouflage them, especially in the winter when shrubs are leafless. Like deer, their thick coat insulates them against the cold and wet weather.  The following information from https://www.berrypatchfarms.net/do-foxes-come-out-in-the-rain/ explains this thoroughly.

"Outer Guard Hairs Repel Moisture:  Foxes have a thick, fluffy coat made up of two layers that help them stay dry in the rain or snow. The top layer consists of long, coarse “guard” hairs that are water-repellent. These guard hairs are coated with oils that cause water to bead up and run off the fur without penetrating to the skin underneath. The texture and structure of the guard hairs also help repel moisture. They are straight, thick, and hollow which allows air to become trapped and create insulation.

In addition, foxes frequently groom themselves by licking and nibbling their fur. This helps distribute oils across the guard hairs to maintain their water-resistant properties. When it starts to rain, foxes will fluff up their fur which causes the hairs to become more tightly packed. This makes it even harder for moisture to penetrate down to the skin. So from their fur structure to their grooming habits, foxes have adaptations that allow them to stay dry in wet weather.

Underfur Keeps Skin Dry:  Underneath the longer guard hairs is a thick underfur layer. While the guard hairs repel external moisture, the underfur works to retain body heat and keep the skin dry. The underfur consists of short, fine, and very dense hairs that trap air close to the skin. This creates an insulating barrier to retain the fox’s body heat. Even if rain is wetting the outer guard hairs, the thick underfur prevents it from reaching the skin. The trapped air helps absorb and evaporate any moisture that gets through the outer layer. And the fox’s skin gives off oils that waterproof the underfur to prevent internal moisture from wetting the fur. So between body heat evaporating external moisture and their skin oils waterproofing internal moisture, a fox’s underfur keeps their skin nice and dry.

Can’t Afford to Stay in Dens During Short Rain Showers:  Foxes have high metabolisms and can’t go more than a day or two without eating before they become weak from hunger. Their digestive systems are adapted for frequent small meals, not infrequent large feasts. So while heavy downpours may keep foxes sheltered a bit longer, light rain showers of an hour or less won’t typically deter them.

Gray Fox - Urocyon cinereoargenteus

Rain Makes Scenting Prey More Difficult: A fox’s exceptional sense of smell is key for finding prey in tall grasses, bushes, and other ground cover. But rain can interfere with their ability to detect critters by scent. So foxes may have to rely more on their hearing to listen for small animal sounds on rainy days.

Their excellent night vision helps them spot motion during gloomy weather too."

Steller's Jay - Cyanocitta stelleri

Birds in the Rain

Birds have a harder time than mammals keeping dry and warm in heavy rain.  They also have to deal with the lower atmospheric pressure during rainstorms!  The following information from https://www.audubon.org/ explains this phenomenon.

"During a rainstorm, you’re more likely to see birds perched and hunkered down than flying around. Most birds are mostly waterproof. Their feathers, combined with oil from preen glands, keep them pretty watertight. So why do birds avoid flying during rainstorms? It’s not just about getting wet. It may have more to do with the air than with the water.

Storms alter the medium in which flight takes place: the air itself. Rainstorms tend to occur when atmospheric pressure is low. Air in a low-pressure system is less dense. But it’s dense air that gives birds the aerodynamic lift they need to take wing. Falling rain and high humidity also add lots of water molecules to the air. That water takes up space in the air, making it even less dense.

So rather than fly, many birds perch and conserve energy during a storm. They sit it out under the cover of a tree. Or perch on a fence wire facing into the wind, reducing their air resistance — and limiting the loss of precious body heat. But when the storm passes, birds once again take to the skies."

Red-shouldered Hawk in the Rain! - Buteo lineatus

This additional information is from birdwatchingpro.com.

"If the rain does not cease, then the birds will eventually run out of energy. So, they will have to venture out and find food to fuel their energy. Birds that feed on insects may have a tough time finding grubs while it is raining, but they tend to be spoilt for choice after the rain.

Raptors may also suffer during prolonged periods of rain. Birds that feed on seeds and worms will be okay for food, especially since heavy rains tend to unearth worms. If a storm rages on for a prolonged period of time, then raptors and insect-eating birds will suffer greatly and face hypothermia and even death."

Red-tailed Hawk in the Rain! - Buteo jamaicensis

The following is from https://raptor.umn.edu/.

"Raptors are usually comfortable in rain, although like any animal they can be faced with certain risks that come along with big storms. Raptors are good at finding shelter during these occurrences. Feathers have a certain level of waterproofing that allows birds to fly even when they are somewhat wet. When they get fully soaked, however, the structure of their feathers become more compact and heavy, making it much harder to fly. If this happens, raptors would find shelter and wait for their feathers to dry before taking to the sky."

What about those mushrooms???

What's happening in the foothills?

Check back in two weeks to find the answers to these questions and more!

After 8 years of posting my blog, I've decided that I'm only going to post my blog twice monthly from now on. My next post will be on the weekend of December 14th. See you then!

Also, check out my latest post on my newly re-opened Damp Earth Blog at dampearthart.blogspot.com

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